Lid-operating device



W. C. AND E. 0. HAGLEY. LID OPERATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED Aumls.1919. RENEWED DEC. 28. 1920.

1,384,254. hly 1 ,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

WILBERT C. HAGLEY AND EDWARD O. HAGLEY, OF HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

LID-OPERATING DEVICE.

Application filed August 13, 1919, Serial No. 317,275. Renewed December28, 1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, VVILnEnr C. HAGLEY andEDWARD O. HAGLEY, both citizens of the United States, residing atHuntington, in the county of Cabell and State of West Virginia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Lid-Operating Devices,of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to lid lifting and closing devices, moreparticularly adapted for application to. grocers cabinets and likereceptacles having a hinged lid adapted to be opened and closed.

The object of the present invention is to provide a relatively strongand durable operating mechanism which may be operated to open and closethe lid by the foot; which may be retained in open position duringaccess to the cabinet; which is constructed to distribute the pressureevenly upon oppo-, site sides of the hinged cover; and which is adaptedto prevent injury tothe cover incident to undue jarring of the same. 1

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a cabinet having a hinged cover in closed position,and showing the operating device of this invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the parts in osition with the coverraised.

ig. 3 is a transverse section through the upper portion of thereceptacle with the device ofthe invention applied thereto, taken on theline 33 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a receptacle of any approvedtype which, as shown, may be rectangular in cross section and pro 'dedwith a closure on its upper end in the form of' a lid 11 connected tothe rear side of the container 10 by a hinge 12.

The operating device for the hinged lid 11 comprises a treadle 13 in theform of a strip of metal. bent U-shaped with its side Specification ofLetters Patent.

portions arranged exteriorly against the op posite sides of thereceptacle 10 and pivoted at their free ends upon brackets 14' securedto the opposite sides of the container 10 ad jacent the rear sidethereof. The treadle 13 is p-rovided'with an outwardly bent footpiece 15at its intermediate portion, the footpiece being adapted to. extendoutwardly from the receptacle 10 to receive the foot for depressing thetreadle.

A lever 16 is pivoted at 17 against opposite sides of the receptacle 10near the up er edge thereof, the lever 16 being pivoted between itsends, and one end of each lever 16 being connected by a link .18 to theadjacent side portion of the treadle 13 near the free end of the latter.The other end of each lever 16 is pivotally connected by a link 19 withthe cover 11, the link 19 having pivotal connection with the cover 11 ata point in spaced relation to the hinge 12. The levers 16 are adapted tolie substantially in a horizontal position below the cover 111 when thelatter is closed, and the link 18 is pivoted to the rear end of thelever 16 and the link 19is pivoted to the forward end thereof.

A spring 20 has one end connected to each lever 16 between its pivot 17and the link 19, the other end of each spring 20 being secured to thetreadle 13 between its pivot 14 and the link 18. The action of thespring 20 is such that it normally urges the cover 11 into closedposition, and cushions the hinged cover 11 as it is swung into openposition.

When the treadle 13 is depressed to open the lid 11, as shown in Fig. 2,the outer portion. of the treadle engages beneath the shoulder 21 of aspring catch 22 riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the lowerportion of the front wall of the receptacle. The spring catch 22 isprovided with an outstanding lip 23 which constitutes a cam at its innerend and is curved accurately into the shoulder 21 for springing thecatch 22 outwardly as the treadle 13 moves over the face of the cam andbeneath the shoulder 21.

In operation, when the receptacle 10 is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, andit is desired to gain access to the interior of the receptacle, it isonly necessary to place the foot on the projection 15 and depress thetreadle 13. As the treadle is swung down, it draws the links 18 atopposite sides of the receptacle and swings the lever 16 to move theirrear ends downwardly and to lift their forward ends. The upward thrustof the forward ends of the levers 16 raises the links 19 and swings thecover 11 into an open position. The spring 20 prevents the jarring ofthe cover 11 when it reaches its uppermost position, and thus preventsinjury to the hinge 12 and the parts of the operating mechanism. Whenthe treadle 13 approaches its lowermost position the forward portion orbar of the treadle engages the spring catch 22 and forces the sameoutward sufliciently to permit the shoulder 21 to snap over the upperedge of the treadle and thus hold it in lowered position. The lid 11 isthus held in open position, and when it is desired to close the lid itis only necessary to placethe foot upon the lip or projection 23 of thespring catch to depress the same and 'free the treadle 13. The spring 20now raises the treadle 13 and causes the lid 11 to close.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

.1. In a lid operating device, the combina tion with a receptacle havinga hinged lid, a U-shaped treadle pivoted at its free ends against theopposite sides of the receptacle and extending across the front thereof,a lever pivoted on each side of the receptacle near the top thereof, apair of links between the treadle and one end of each of said levers, asecond pair of links between the other ends of said levers and the lid,a spring between the treadle and the adjacent lever at each side of thereceptacle for urging the treadle upwardly to close the lid, and footreleasable means on the lower end of the receptacle adapted to engagethe treadle for holding the lid open against the tension of the spring.

2. In a lid operating device, the combination with a receptacle having ahinged lid, a treadle pivoted upon the receptacle, operating meansbetween the treadle and the lid for opening the latter when the treadleis depressed, and a spring catch carried upon the lower end of thereceptacle adapted to automatically interlock with the treadle whendepressed and provided with an outstanding portion adapted to be engagedby the foot for releasing the treadle to close the a lid.

between the treadle and the lid for open ing the latter when the treadleis depressed,

means for normally urging said treadle upwardly to close the lid, and aspring catch mounted on the receptacle adapted to automaticallyinterlock with the treadle when depressed to hold the lid open, andprovided with means engageable by the foot to release the treadlewhereby said spring is adapted to raise said treadle and close-the lid.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

WILBERT O. HAGLEY. EDWARD O. HAGLEY.

